Let it Ache!
We are a husband and wife who train and run a lot of races together. Heather is on a journey to complete her first 100k race while JD pushes towards a 100 miler. Between the both of us, we have dealt with numerous injuries and thought the title was appropriate!

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Thursday, January 1, 2015

Beaufort Resolution 5K

Pre-race

On New Year's Day we decided to run the Beaufort Resolution 5K. This is the third year that we have done this race. We choose it mostly because there aren't many options in coastal Carolina during this time of the year, and it's part of the Crystal Coast Countdown in the area where we stay. This race isn't well advertised, usually doesn't have online registration set up until about 2 weeks before the race, and is not timed or recorded so it has pretty low participation. This year was probably the largest number of runners that we have seen. The course is completely flat and is an out and back right down Front Street in Beaufort. It actually boasts beautiful water views and tremendous historic homes so it's quite a pretty run. The race was only $15 for adults and free for kids under 10 years old and proceeds went to support the local Boys and Girls Club. There is a 5K and 1 mile option. The bathroom situation was fine as there was an open coffee shop as well as public bathrooms at the start.

Front Street

Gorgeous mansions on the way out

Beautiful water views on the way back

My major issue with this race is that they advertise it as a fun run, but then they give out age group awards at the end. They have to go one way or another with this. If it's a fun run, then don't do the awards. Everyone got a pedometer as our swag item for registering. They had a clock set up at the start line so you could keep track of your time for your own purposes, and they had race bibs but no timing chips. All fine if it is a fun run. The problem arises when they pull the bottom off your bib at the end of the race and staple it to a big board. Then the "race director" randomly decides on age groups (after the fact) based on participants in each group and hands out top 3 awards in each of those age groups, but the age groups include the overall top three who are not swept out of the placings. These are all things that runners understand, but this race director was obviously not a runner. So she stood at this board and decided that the age groups were <15, 15-30, 30-50 and 50+ for males and females. Um, yeah, whatever on that one. No times are recorded on the board nor are the results posted anywhere online so it's not like the awards matter.

Crazy results board and don't ask me what happened to 13-15

They actually go to the trouble to buy decent medals, but then they can't be bothered to record times or post the results online. It's so crazy. There were at least 125 people who ran the 5K by my count of bib numbers and what ended up on the board so if they did want to do awards, they could have easily done top 3 in ten year age groups or winners only in ten year age groups. They could also easily record the times on a clipboard as the runners cross the finish and then transfer this information and put it online if they don't want the expense of chip timing. It really makes no difference to me if it is a fun run or a timed race, but giving out awards randomly after it was advertised as a fun run is just weird. Lest you think I'm being sour grapes because we didn't get any awards, JD actually got 3rd place in the 30-50 age group this year. They did the same thing last year and both JD and Zach got awards last year as well.

JD's 20 year age group award-bet no one else can boast that!

OK, enough venting about the race. It actually is a really nice course with great support from the local police and fire departments and an awesome way to kick off a new year.

Race start-JD is over there in the blue closest to the building.

I was having stomach issues on race day so I ran a pathetic 27:07. Zach ran a 26:21 with Nic close behind at 26:23. They ran together for most of the race, and then it was a foot race to the finish. JD ran just under 22 minutes. We were all a bit off our usual 5K game after staying up later than usual for New Year's Eve. We still had a great time, and we will definitely be back next year.